Wilted Collard Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing 

I grew up eating a lot of salads drizzled with just enough hot vinaigrette dressing to lightly gloss and wilt the leaves. We often used baby lettuce from the springtime garden or foraged greens, but it was a happy day when I first used collards as the star of the show.  

As we learned on the Collard Field Trip, some varieties are tender enough to eat raw. If that describes your collards, you can skip the blanching and shocking steps. But most collards, especially those that are a bit more mature, benefit from that quick process because it turns them crisp-tender and bright green, a texture and color that can be a revelation to those who have had only soft, long-cooked collards. Make no mistake, I adore collards in potlikker, but our opportunity here is to see that there’s more than one way to cook and enjoy collards if we regard them as a fresh, vibrant, quick-cooking leafy green.

It’s important to taste this salad before you serve it to ensure that the flavors (smoky, bitter, sweet, acidic) are balanced and make you happy. No two bundles of collards are the same, so I let each batch of this recipe tell me what it needs. When I’m happy with it, my guests are happy with it. That’ll be true for you and your guests as well.  

Makes 4 to 6 servings 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds collards, tough stems removed, and leaves coarsely chopped, about 8 loosely packed cups
• 4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
• Splash of olive oil, if needed
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion, about 1 small
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar, sorghum, or cane syrup
• Big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup pickled golden raisins (recipe follows)

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Have ready a large bowl of ice water.  

Place the collards in the boiling water and blanch until wilted and deep green in color, about 1 minute. Use a strainer to transfer them into the ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain well and squeeze a handful at a time to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside.

Place the bacon in a large skillet or saucepan, set over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the fat has rendered, and the bacon is brown and crispy, 12 to 18 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a small bowl, leaving the drippings in the pan. If there is less than about 3 tablespoons of drippings in the pot, add oil to make up the difference. Add the onion and a big pinch of salt and stir to combine. Cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about for 1 minute.

Add the vinegar and stir to loosen the browned glaze from the bottom of the pan. Shake the collards loose and add them to the pan and stir to coat. Cook until glossy and barely warmed through, tossing occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the amount of vinegar and/or sugar as desired.

Top with the reserved bacon, pecans, freshly ground black pepper, and pickled raisins. Serve warm. 

©Copyright 2024 Sheri Castle  

Pickled Golden Raisins

I always keep a jar of these raisins in my fridge. I love their texture and sweet-tangy flavor that’s surprisingly complex to be only two ingredients. They’re just right for sprinkling onto salads or adding to a cheese plate.

Ingredients  

• Makes about 1 cup
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar, or as needed

Place the raisins in a glass jar and add enough vinegar to submerge them. Microwave uncovered on High for 1 to 2 minutes or until the vinegar bubbles. Carefully remove the jar and let stand until cool. The raisins will rehydrate and turn plump as they absorb the vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for up to three months. 

©Copyright 2024 Sheri Castle 

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.